What is an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute?
An amendment in the nature of a substitute is in fact a substitution of the body of a piece of legislation. A Congressperson or committee may choose to redraft the text of a bill or a great deal of that text, yet keep the title and secure the enabling clause or clauses. As is often the case in Congress, things can become very complicated, as amendments may then also be made to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. Various items can be added and stricken, until the body of the legislation is referred to as an Amendment-to-Substitute-to-Amend-in-the-Nature-of-a-Substitute. The final draft may look nothing like the original bill, even though it bears the original title and number and is construed under the original enabling aspects. In some cases, an amendment in the nature of a substitute may be issued to clear up issues of constitutionality. If part of a bill is constitutionally questionable, that measure may be reworded to ensure that it passes muster. Instead of disposing of th
